Rhino Design Build, LLC. www.rhinodesignbuild.com by Danny Garica Save money on heating costs this winter Do an energy audit of your house, identifying areas where heated air is leaking out. Check around doors, windows, fireplaces, and other areas that may feel drafty. Use caulk, weather stripping, door sweeps, plastic, and other appropriate means to close off these leaks. If your house is poorly insulated, adding additional insulation will pay for itself in reduced heating costs. Minimize your use of ventilation fans such as bathroom fans and kitchen hood fans in winter. A bathroom fan can suck all the heated air out of the average house in little more than an hour. Over the course of the winter, ventilation fans can increase your heating costs by a surprising amount. Don't heat areas of your house you don't use regularly, such as guest rooms. Close heating vents or turn back thermostats in those areas and close the doors for a painless reduction in heating costs. Turn down the heat and use space heaters to heat the room you spend time in. Keep your furnace, heat pump, or other heating equipment in top operating condition. Dirty filters reduce the efficiency of your furnace or heat pump. Poorly tuned units are inefficient and use more fuel. An annual maintenance agreement is well worth the money to ensure that your equipment is properly maintained and will last as long as possible. Don't turn your thermostat up above the desired temperature. It won't heat up any more quickly and will make your furnace work harder. Also, while it makes sense to turn the heat back when you're sleeping or not at home, turning it down too low can actually cost you more because the contents of the house have to be re-heated in addition to the air. 68 to 70 degrees while you're home and awake, and 60 to 65% while you're asleep or not at home are reasonable temperatures. Consider a programmable thermostat to raise and lower the temperature at pre-set times. Check the temperature setting on your hot water heater. If you have a dishwasher, your water should be heated to 120%. Otherwise, it can be somewhat lower. If your water heater is in an unheated space like an unfinished basement, wrap it in an insulation blanket available at hardware stores to prevent heat loss. Wash clothes in cold water whenever possible. It's tempting to stand under a hot shower on a cold morning for as long as possible, but cutting your shower time in half can save up to 33% on your hot water heating costs. In winter, open the blinds and curtains on the sunny side of the house (the south-facing side) when the sun is shining and close them as soon as the sun goes down to retain the solar heat. Close curtains on the shady side of the house (north-facing side). If you don't have curtains, consider installing some. Curtains made from heavy fabric with lots of folds (fullness) can prevent cold air from seeping in and warm air from seeping out, which reduces your heating costs. ...read more

Rhino Design Build, LLC. www.rhinodesignbuild.com by Danny Garcia To lower your electric bill you basically need to do one thing---use less electricity. There are many ways to do this. Get a programable thermostat. Program it to heat or cool less when your not at home. Use your cloths dryer less. Hang your clothes to dry. Wash and Dry only full loads. Unplug all those small wall transformers that are not is use. The ones you use to charge your cell phone cameras, and such. They all use small amounts of electricity when even when not being used. Feel the warmer they are the more electricity they are using. Turn off your lights. Replace all your incandescent lights with lower power fluorescent bulbs. They generate less heat and use electricity. This will also cut down on the cooling bill in the summer. Turn down your hot watter heater. Get a timer for your hot water heater to shut it off at night and when your not at home. Turn your computer off when it is not being used. Consider cutting it off at the power strip if you have lots of other devices attached. If there are any transformers attached they generate heat(and use electricity) even when the device they power is off. Set your thermostat a little higher and use a fan or set it lower and wear a sweater. Use your stove less. This may not be practical all the time. Stoves use a lot of electricity. In the summer the increase in heat will cause your heater to run more. Change you air filters. A dirty air filter will cause your heating/cooling system to have to run much longer. Your system will have to work harder to force air through a dirty filter. Use you windows and Drapes effectively. On cold day open the drapes so that the sun can shin in to help heat the house. On warm days pull the draped so your conditioning will be more effective. ...read more

For questions on technical aspects of our vinyl windows for the replacement stimulus package please contact us at sales@venttra.com a u value which is the winter value  or the amount of heat that escapes through the window has to be .30 or lower, for the solar heat gain coefficient SHGC which is known as the summer value , and it is the amount of heat that penetrates through a window in summer it has to be  .30 or lower . this numbers the lower the better. for more information on structural strenght please contact us. ...read more

Get Qualified at 100% Home Financing with no Credit or Bad Credit and Qualify for up to $8,000 dollars Stimulus Check from IRS if you close by November 30, 2009.  Call me at 210-391-7614 for a Free Consultation over the phone that will give you Total Information as How to Qualify you at 100% when you think your Credit is challenged.  This Free Information will get you closer to being a Home Owner in 2009 and Qualify you for the "IRS Stimulus Check" and there is no cost to you for the Credit Counseling. ...read more

Updated Nov. 6, 2009, to reflect new legislation — more to be added soon First-Time Homebuyer Credit   New Legislation New legislation, the Worker, Homeownership and Business Assistance Act of 2009, which was signed into law on Nov. 6, 2009, extends and expands the first-time homebuyer credit allowed by previous Acts. The new law: Extends deadlines for purchasing and closing on a home. Authorizes the credit for long-time homeowners buying a replacement principal residence. Raises the income limitations for homeowners claiming the credit.   Under the new law, an eligible taxpayer must buy, or enter into a binding contract to buy, a principal residence on or before April 30, 2010 and close on the home by June 30, 2010.For qualifying purchases in 2010, taxpayers have the option of claiming the credit on either their 2009 or 2010 return.   For the first time, long-time homeowners who buy a replacement principal residence may also claim a homebuyer credit of up to $6,500 (up to $3,250 for a married individual filing separately). They must have lived  in the same principal residence for any five-consecutive year period during the eight-year period that ended on the date the replacement home is purchased. People with higher incomes can now qualify for the credit. The new law raises the income limits for homes purchased after Nov. 6, 2009. The credit phases out for individual taxpayers with modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) between $125,000 and $145,000 or between $225,000 and $245,000 for joint filers. The existing MAGI phase-outs of $75,000 to $95,000 or $150,000 to $170,000 for joint filers still apply to purchases on or before Nov. 6, 2009. Questions and Answers More information is available in thequestion and answer section. Related Items IR-2009-83, First-Time Homebuyer Credit Provides Tax Benefits to 1.4 Million Families to Date The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009: Information Center ...read more

You can qualify  for up to $8,000 Stimulus Check from the Government if you are a First Time Home buyer or have not owned a home in the last 3 years and you are thinking of buying a home by November 30, 2009.  You can qualify for 10% of the Purchase Price of your home not to exceed $8,000 for a total Stimulus Check.  Once you close on your home, you may send for your $8,000 from IRS if the Purchase Price of your home was at least $80,000 or above.  Any  Home Purchases under $80,000 will qualify for 10% of the Purchase Price.  Don't delay think Home Investment + Stimulus Check and start preparing to buy your Dream Home to close no later than 11/30/09.  Call for more details at 210-391-7614. ...read more

We are in the early stage of finishing two new homes close to the Babcock and Huebner intersection.  We're blocks away from USAA, and the Medical Center.  The goal is to have one home finished in three weeks, and to have a sales associate at the location over the weekends.  We've been very surprised, and encouraged by the interest in this area.  The first home ready for completion is 1950 sq. ft.  It does have a metal roof, and four sides brick.  It truly is a classic design.  Feel free to ask any questions on any home project you may have. ...read more

If you are currently in a high interest Mortgage rate of 10% or more, You may qualify for a Restructured Refinance Loan with no closing costs.  Don't risk the chance in losing your home.  You've got too much invested in your home not to mention all your family memories.  I can help you.  Please call Gloria at (210)391-7614 for more information.  "Se Habla Espanol". ...read more

Get qualified at 100%  Mortgage financing and no closing cost.  Get lowest Mortgage interest rates in the market.  This is not a joke.  Please don't hesitate to call me for more information in owning your home.  Se Hable Espanol! Call Gloria at (210)391-7614. ...read more

Stop dreaming of owning your home and move forward in making this dream come true.  I can help you accomplish this dream if you are really serious in becoming a home owner.  I can give you information to qualify you even if you have no credit or bad credit.  Everyone qualifies.  It may not be instantly, but once you qualify, you will be qualified at 100% financing with no closing cost. Sound like a dream, but it is true.  It is a dream come true.  Call Gloria now for more information at (210)391-7614. Thank you! ...read more

Historically, for people in the construction industry, this is the slowest time of year in terms of active project  and new sales. Customers are enjoying the holidays and their families.  So, what better time to re-evaluate your current routines and implement ones that are more effective. Think about the most successful production oriented professionals that you know.  Likely, you will find that these people have great routines supported by self-discipline. If you feel like your day has more control over you than you have over your day, it is time to implement a good routine and improve your time management skills. The most difficult part of a routine is the implementation.  Most construction managers, site supervisors, and assistant superintendants, have routines they follow but never reach their true potential.  Simply, because they do not complete the first step. Eventually they are stuck, in what I call, the "twilight zone". They start to feel overwhelmed, they are not sure if today is Monday or Wednesday and they loose sense of time.  Trust me I have been there.  Fortunately, I woke up from this self-induced coma and realized I need to do something different. Therefore, I conducted a self evaluation and implemented the steps listed below to help improve my production output and ultimately, my well-being.1.)Take Stock:  You have to begin by reviewing your current routines or habits. Log each hour of an average workday and note what you have accomplished during that hour.  By the end of the day and the end of the week, you will find a lot of wasted time and identify bad habits. You should do this evaluation for at least 1 week. Even the most efficient people can find some time being wasted by doing this schedule evaluation.2.)New schedule:  Now that you have completed the "old schedule" and identified where you are wasting time, you can create a new effective work schedule. Nevertheless, it is important toput your new schedule in writing!! And review throughout the day to ensure your staying on track.Most construction professionals accomplish more the first half of the day than any other time. So, try to fit as many of your most important task for the a.m. time slots. These should include things that you know just  have to be done everyday. The second half of the day can be the overflow and client meeting time slots. Listed are some of the things that I always accomplished during the first half of my busy day. These are things that I knew had to be completed in order for my projects to run efficiently. Be certain that you have all necessary tools to complete your routines efficiently. i.e, tape-measure, punchlist forms, level, camera, project specificatons and color selections documents, etc.a.) Construction site Inspectionb.) Project inspections and create punchlistc.) Make phone calls and check emailsd.) Send all necessary faxese.) Daily trade meetingsf. ) Material inventory and orderingg.) Update project schedules3.)Plan ahead:  Plan for emergencies.  I know this if difficult to do but you have to allow your schedule to not be affected when those small emergencies arise.  That is the reason for implementing this new schedule. Allow just a few minutes per hour for every hour in your schedule.  The goal is to accomplish as much as you can per hour for a full 8-hour workday. If you pack each hour with task and a minor emergency arises, which will happen,  then you affect your entire workday with a domino affect. It is discouraging when you do not plan for emergencies and your entire day is affected. At the end of that day, you feel as if you did not accomplish anything. So, plan for distractions and emergencies.   4.)Early Bird:  I always like to be the first one on the job and arrive at least 15- 30 minutes earlier than everyone else.  This helps site supervisors have additional preparation for on site meetings and also allows time to "prowl" the jobsites without distractions.5.)Time out:  You have to allow time in your schedule for a 30 min. break.  I used this time to sit in a quiet area away from all of the construction noise and review my day. I also took this time to recharge mentally.6.)Make it contagious:  People like efficient and productive profesionals. Especially, when you're playing on the same team.  When you feel like your schedule is perfected share it with your colleagues and team members. This will only make your entire team better.  Trust me, good routines and great scheduling habits are contagious. Our next blog will coverHow to manage your trades contractors effectively. ...read more

Remember the old saying, "you get what you pay for".  That rings true when it comes to remodeling.  The cheapest contractor is not always the best for longterm enjoyment of your new remodel.  I encourage people that are in the process of planning a remodel project to receive bids and ideas from at least 3 companys.  You may receive bids with large variation in price.  This is when you must ask the key questions and GET IT IN WRITING.  Be certain you understand the specifications and what is included prior to commencement. It's much more difficult to set expectations after the project is underway. Here are some important questions to ask your potential contractors  during the interview process. QUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR POTENTIAL CONTRACTOR Are you licencensed with the city of San Antonio, If so, what is your license number? all general contractors must be interviewed by the building department prior to being issued a license. Are you registered with the state of Texas, Texas Residential Construction Commision?Again, all contractors that perform any improvement that exceeds 10k must register the project with the state. How does your warranty process work?Have the contractor explain his warranty procedures. Who will be managing my project?You must feel comfortable with this person they are essentially moving in with you if your project is and interior job. What is the timeline for my project?ScAlways ask for a written schedule in the beginning. schedules are subject to change, but this shows planning on the contractors part. What is your process of hiring trades contractors?Again, this will show you how they conduct business without invading the contractors operations.  If an emergency arises who do I contact?Again, this could be important. The general contractor is required by law to give you a list of contractors who will be performing work on your home.  If you are making improvments to your kitchen and a plumbing leak occurs, but no one is on site, who do you call?  You want more than one point of contact.  I would recommend the plumbers number and the job site supervisor. Most mechanical companies have an emergency contact number. Be sure to set your expectations with your contractor and ask if they can meet them.  This is a simple step that will make your and the contractor's life easier.  Happy Remodeling!!  Curtis Ramey, President Ramey Custom Builders (210) 967-3070 ...read more